Digital Reflections

Back to FAMILY FUN - 100 things to do with your kids this summer!

Since my last posting, life took a spiral turn into accidental advocacy but I wouldnt have ever changed the course because of the good things that are to come from this year.  In August our school principal cut RECESS, maybe not such a big deal to some, but as a mother of 4 elementary school students it is a big deal to me.  And fortunately, it was a big deal to almost every parent I spoke with in our school and district.  You can read all about our fight to save recess at my other site here:

SAVERECESS.ORG

Needless to say, much effort was put into a year of taking on a school board, advocating across the state and becomming involved with amazing organizations like KaBoom and Playworks.  I look forward to advocating as a part of IPA for my state this next year as well.  I didnt expect my role as an accidental advocate to take up so much of my extra time, so much so that this blog was put on hold while I spend countless hundreds of hours in research and networking.

But its summer and that brings me back to one of my most popular posts:

 

100 Things to do with your kids this summer

I hope this list encourages you to get out there and be active with your kids.  We will have lots of fun updates here all summer long as we continue our annual summer family camps with fun themes, like visiting France, reliving the roaring 20s and many more.  In addition, our family has signed up for the KaBoom's Park a Day Summer Challenge.  So everyday, we will embark on a new park and then head over to the KaBoom website and upload details, photos and more.  We love summer so much around here and hope to share some of our family time with you. 

Gearing up for School..

Can you believe that is my header this time.. gearing up for school ALREADY!  I know if summer flew by for me, it did for the kids as well.  And as long as it was memorable and filled with learning opportunities it was a success.  But now that I have 4 munchkins heading off to school my mind has definately changed gears so we can be as prepared as possible for that first bell come later this month. 

So, what are we doing to prepare:

Making Our Fall Calendar.

Cleaning out Closets -donating clothes, backpacks, and school supplies.

Re-establishing routines, bedtime and reading time, bath schedules and chores.

Getting backpacks set up, checking the school supply list and the sale ads.

Visitng the school playground and going over ground rules and helping our kindergartener feel comfortbale in his new surroundings.

Taste testing lunch ideas, trying new recipes and planning menus.

Reviewing what we learned and continued to practice this summer, such as site words and math facts.

Re-organizing the game room to include more study spaces and a reading nook.

And no blog post would be complete without some links - todays topic: LUNCH OPTIONS for school.

I am in love with these eco friendly (BPA free) reusable snack pouches. I first learned of them from

Cool Mom Picks and if you check out the posting at Cool Mom Picks you will see a code good for 20% off your order. 

Itzy Ritzy Snack Pouches 

Laptop Lunches are another huge favorite.  This is the way I want to package my kids lunch, totally reusable, no waste lunches.  We switched from any type of juice containers or milk cartons last year as well as not purchasing zipper storage bags.  So we are well on our way to a waste free lunch.

Land of Nod Lunch Punches are making an exciting entry to our lunch routine this Fall. You can also check out the Lunch Punch website for more designs.

Also an option for resusable and kid friendly and BPA free are the EASY BENTO STYLE LUNCHBOXES.  These fall among the most affordable of the options.

Want some blog inspiration and some photos to stir your imagination check out these links:

Whats for lunch at our house

Lunch In A Box 

O Bento Lunch For Kids

and my favorite thing to check out is FLICKR - here is a link to the general search for kids bento.

Tomorrow's post: Organizing school supplies, school areas, and what to do with all the "things" that come home with your child during the school year.

Before I go I had to talk outloud for a minute, its how I process things best so bear with me and feel free to leave me some input.  Last year the Fall flew by in such a whirlwind that I rarely slept, caught my breath, or even blogged.  But that has changed because well, all 4 of my kids are heading off to school (though I will still have the joys of toddler fun a few days a week)... So I want to find my niche here in the blogasphere.. I continue to challenge my kids throughout the year with their school work, I dont think it is enough to send them off and expect someone else to train them up and teach them all they need to learn.  I also supliment their school lessons (and themes) with field trips and hands on learning that is for the most part being left out of the classroom these days.  But I am also venturing into the world of cooking more, from scratch, home canning, meal planning, natural, organic and vegan (when I can).  I came a cross a blog by way of a friend, literally two days before the Blog writer took it offline I was so inspired by GREENANDCRUNCHY blog and it disappeared.  One of the many things I loved about her blog were her posts using section plates for her kids lunch. I was so in love with the concept and with the imagery of it all.  So I have been on a hunt for stainless steel section plates for our snacks and weekend eating.  I cant wait to start sharing photos and recipes.  It is empowering to teach in all aspects of life, but being able to teach my children to grow what they eat and then understand the true nurishment of thier bodies and that it doesnt come from overly greasy 1000 calorie fast food meals is so rewarding to me personally.  We are also very crafty around here and like I mentioned in my last post we are already working on handmade Chrsitmas gifts, so there will be plenty of crafty ideas, shared resources and lts of links to places like FAMILY FUN, MARTHA STEWART and CRAFTY CROW, but also to the dozens of blogs I turn to to find a quick, fun, educational, or charming craft project.  I will also get the chance to try products and review them, read books and share my thoughts, it is getting fun.

All this to say, stay tuned the blog may be finished with BIG SUMMER FUN, but we arent done having FUN around here.  Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read about our journey, I would love to hear from you if there are things you would like to hear about or see.

Christmas in July...

I cant help it, I walk into the local craft and hobby stores like a kid walking into a candy store... The Fall and Christmas decorations just make me smile.  So what better way to add some fun crafts in July than to start preparing for the seasons ahead.  With 4 kids all in school this Fall, I figure this is a great way to get a head start on personalized (handmade) class gifts, and gifts for our friends....

So, here are some great Christmas ideas to add to your make-it list this year...

These handmade alphabet bean bags are number one on the list this year, we are all excited to be working on our version of these for a few special little ones in our life.

Little Blue Boo -handmade alphabet bean bags

Stitch and Craft -story dice tutorial

Make It Do - Make a Snowman Kit

The Thrifty Chick: Handmade Personalized Checkers

Coleys Corner: Snowman Candy Wrappers

Scrappybetties Note Card Holders  

Ali Edwards Advent Boxes Idea

Crafty Crow Christmas Links/Ideas

The Artful Crafter -Altered Altoid Cans (we are making these for classmates this year for my kindergartener, inside each tin will be a set of Alphabet Matching Cards using some of my favorite digital scrapbooking supplies from designerdigitals.com.

We also are making these for some friends we visit during the Christmas season:

These are lightbulb reindeer, simply made with burnt out lightbulbs, craft paint, and a few craft supplies like pipe cleaners, craft pompoms, etc. my kids really loved painting these and then I would apply the hot glue and they would adhear each of the other items. 

I think in general the Holiday season is easily buried in the mantra to buy more, to get the PERFECT gift, to overindulge, which all usually brings on stress, wasted time and spending an aweful lot of money.  We have really reevaluated things around here this year, and getting back to some of the basics means finding ways to use our creativity to be a blessing to others.  This year our gifts will be handmade, which continues what I shared last week, the kids are learning to knit and sew and we are canning fruits and jams, all things that will be meaningful and heartfelt gifts that they have put so much time and effort into.  I have a sneaking supspission that they will enjoy Christmas even more this year when they see the joy they are able bring others by giving gifts that they crafted and created themselves.

And you can always check out the 'big' sites for lots of inspiration and ideas:

BHG Christmas Crafts

Family Fun Christmas Crafts

Martha Stewart Handmade for kids 

This is also a great time of year for giving, giving back and lending a hand.  It is normal during the holidays to feel the urge to donate to local food pantries or shelters.  But this time of year is quite difficult for some families in need, so why not consider participating in a school supply drive, or donating backpacks and canned goods to local charities and shelters now.  Why not bake a pie and take it to a neighbor, or mow the lawn down the block.  Today, tomorrow, this week its just as a good a time as any to lend a hand to someone in need, to show a little light in the world, to offer some help, to share from your world to others.

Looking for more fun summer ideas, how is your summer 'bucket list' going... dont forget I have created a list of 100 ideas to do with kids this summer... Hope you have marked some of them off the list and are enjoying everyday to the fullest... (I filled out our calendar for August and am sad to see summer dwindling away so quickly, so we are busy having some more fun this week and have GREAT plans for next week) stay tuned...

10 things all kids should learn...

A mini whirl wind these last days has been fun, invigorating and down right tiring.  But thats the good part of summer, we can spend the next little bit recuperating and then keep on going.  We finished our Egypt week and then did a few smaller nondescript things on our summer fun list...and spent a great deal of time outside, with visits to the park, a long hike along the creek, and lots of slip and slide time.  Sometimes its great to break away from so much structure and just enjoy being together.  Along those lines I just found out this am that our plans have to change for next week so I am revamping another week of our summer to accomodate.  Not a big deal, just a shift from planned to unplanned - good things can always happen when you least expect it right.

On to this week, most of my kids are enjoying VBS, so this is some valuable down time, but I have have a houseful to entertain and its raining and grey.  So this week, we are going to be working on a new list of sorts, one that I have been giving a great deal of thought to lately. 

10 things all kids should learn before they become a TEENAGER...

Granted I am a few years from this, I firmly believe that if we approach these things now, they will be more like second nature and habit by the time my kids are basking in the glory of the strong willed independent raging in hormones cycle that awaits us in a few years.  So what are these things:

1.  All kids should be able to cook a meal... and shop for that meal, plan the meal -there really is a lot that a kid can and should learn about this whole process, plus everyone should be able to bake bread and make a mean pie crust (to name a few)....

2.  They should be able to make their beds. (this one silly enough has been hard for me because I always had the preminition that I would be that pollyanna mom who drops her kids off at school and comes home to make beds (and leave mints on their pillows, lol) and basically walk around in my aapron all day tending to our beautiful home.. dont laugh I really thought that is who I would be.... fast forward 13 years + 4 kids, (plus several that arent mine) and the laundry piles up daily, its usually lunch time before I get the dishes unloaded, and I dont make the kids beds, shoot my husband makes ours... but I know how to make a mean hotel fold, and my kids will learn it too.  I will never forget being in high school and having a friend come over I was told I couldnt leave until my room was picked up and my bed was made (I thought it was utterly ridiculous, but that was before I was a mom)well, my friend hopped into my bed pulled the covers around her neck and slipped out the side, PRESTO she proclaimed, it took 15 seconds and I learned right there that my NOT making my bed had little to do with TIME...

3.  They should be able to sew, whether its a button or a hem, boy or girl, you gotta be able to mend your own issues, right!

4.  They should be able to manage their money.  We are talking allowance which is another hot topic around here, we finally settled on the kids age for allowance given at the end of the month IF their chores around the house are completed without ATTITUDE!!!  Now, around here there are chores that are done because our kids are part of a family unit and this unit must work together to be successful, then there are chores that arefor the sole purpose of their allowance, WHY one main reason we do want to teach them to be responsible with what they are given monetarily.  Ii am working on the 'envelope' system with the little ones and actually have set up accounts for the older ones so we can begin the process of balancing a bank account and reconciling at the end of the month, etc.  There is a chance to earn more (of course my kids prefer the tooth fairy method, but they are runnig out of that option soon)... So with earning, they have to learn giving and saving...

5.  Wash clothes, because despite popular theory in our house, the do not wash themselves and magically reappear on hangers while away at school or camp or dreaming...

6. Basic housekeeping... this is all inclusive but aside from chores, why would a child want to know this, well they may not, but they still need to know how to maintain a clean environment.

7. Basic home repair, I think this is something we miss a lot these days with technology being the only thing that has needed repairing in our house lately.  I remember swinging an ax and hammer at a very young age, yet I am not sure any of my kids could do the same... I think this summer is a perfect chance for some getting dirty and some hands on learning of how things work.

8.  Manners Matter... plain and simple can they answer the phone politely, can they be helpful with a kind response, should the boys open the girls car door, will they know a proper place setting and how to cut their food gracefully...There is a lot that they can learn and a lot of this happens naturally, but in todays day and age, my kids have probably never answered a telephone and only on a rare occassion do I ever place a full place setting at the table, the car doors are automatic, get the point.. so many basic teaching opportunities are missing in this day and they are still valuable skills that each kid should know.

9. Now not so much along the common sense 'practical' approach, but definately a life skill children need to learn is COMPASSION, I dont think its inate in us as beings, I think it is modeled for us as our own needs are met as infants and toddlers, and I think its something that by the time middle school is reached is soon forgotten. 

10.  Time Management.. this is important because its something I need to work on myself.  Distractions come at us all the time, we are focused on a project (me at my computer) the kids engrossed in a show, things that keep us from living each moment fully.  I hope to help my kids learn this summer than planning and organizing their time will get the most out of their lives.. (dont worry I am all for spontaneous things) but I also know that time management will help them in so many areas of their life as they move forward into college, work and marriage.. its important now to show by example and to help with teaching them how important time is.. I really liked this little internet read on Time Management for Kids

I think everyone can make this list for their own kids and all our lists would be different..Here are some great reads if this is something you want to give more thought ....

Planning with Kids -10 things I want my kids to know

Zen Habits 27 skilly your child needs to know

50 things everyone should know

Other things on our list to share this summer:

Growing a garden

Canning our food

Knitting

Writing / Memory keeping (this is big around here, I am an avid scrapbooker, and my kids are keeping scrapbooks in their own words with their own pictures and I know it will be treasured by their children and grandchildren, the way I would cherish something like that had my own granny been able to share that before she left us.)

Serving the greater good (community service is not something you are sentenced with when you break the law)

Random Acts of Kindess -should be a way of life not an ACT of occasion...

Water safety (as a part of taking swimming lessons its important that the kids know how to be safe around water)

Fire Safety (I think we will visit our local firehouse for a tour and a talk with the firemen this summer)

More simple summer ideas can be found here:

Simple Summer Fun

Discovering Ancient Egypt...

We are off to Egypt this week in our quest to keep from boredom this summer.  We are excited about what we can learn and all the fun that is in store.  Seriously, you start talking mummies and pyramids and the kids are all over it. 

There is a lot we can discover in Egypt and about Egypt but here is a quick summary of things we hope to cover.

Hieroglyphics

World Atlas Map of Egypt

Cool interactive embalming activity  keep in mind the process in mummification is quite grotesque and may not be appropriate for the littles in your life.  My oldest (at age 10) can handle this because of his understanding of history.  My littles (4 and 6 -and even my 8 yr old) find this almost scary - so we are approaching it in a little different way which we will share with you later in the week.

Archeology's Interactive Site

Salt dough pyramids

Paper pyramid

Paper Pyramid template

A kids life in Egypt

Cobra Headress

  Added to our library this week:

We are excited to get started with our studies. Check back here this week for our progress as we dive into the histroy of Ancient Egypt as well as discover a bit about life in Egypt today.

Here are a few more sites with helpful info ...

Wikipedia's Egypt search page

A-Z Homeschooling Blog Article on Egypt

I will try to post a little each day about our activities and have a giveaway coming this weekend, so stay tuned! 

Fun for the 4th means Sharing Links...

We are falling quickly into holiday mindset here, and that means crafts, decorations and fun.  Which usually means we spend some time looking for ideas on the web.  I have debated about posting links to some of my favorite blog finds all at one time each week, but with our various themes going on it seems easy to just keep them going within each of my posts... But since we have a holiday coming up, I decided I would link up to some great crafty goodness for you and your kids.

Irish Folding Star for the 4th from Marvelously Messy  cute red white and blue star createdusing a folding pattern.  Instructions and samples.

Patriotic Tea Lights from The Paisley Cupcake  cute ways to decorate jars perfect accent for a 4th of July table.

Todays Creative Blog  I think visiting this site is like hitting the jackpot.. On a regular basis she links to great creative blogs she discovers, but what I ran across is 'Get Your Craft on Tuesday'  where visitors can link up their blogs with a single photo and tag line  -so its like thumbnail heaven of crafty goodness.. You have to check out the blog as well as the links, I have just added it to my reader.

Still Finding Cash  Aside from ongoing ideas of how to live well without spending the bank, this blog has great craft and holiday ideas.   This blog is one I already visit as often as she posts.

Red White and Blue Cupcakes from this tidymom oh if nothing else click the link to see this yummy goodness!

Crafty Crow    this link is to the 4th of july ideas page, but meander around the crafty crow.. I always find ideas and inspiration here, my kids even know to check out crafty crow if we are looking for fun new craft ideas.

Here are some things we have been doing to prepare around here (some from last year too)..

I made this bunting with some scrap fabrics - its a no-sew project just using the hot glue gun and took about 10 minutes including cutting out the triangles..gotta love that...

This is a traditional fare to go along with the cookout.

And this -we make this every year.. so good... we have it when we get home from fireworks.

And then we used extra fabric in an old frame for the hutch.

And these headbands for the girls, and they used popsicle sticks to make flags..

And they are sitting at the table making firecracker crafts right now, so I hope to add that to this post later on.

We will have a wrap up post on our 1960's activities by the end of the week, it has been more of a stuggle this week to find activities that tie into this decade so we have enjoyed a movie or two, playing outside when the weather allows, and doing our 4th of July crafts.

Are you running out of ideas to keep your kids entertained, dont forget to check out my list of 100 free (or really inexpensive) ideas for summer fun.  Just click the link below:

 
Dont forget to check out the links above and visit this blog:

Time Travel continues: 1960's

  

Everything wasnt all groovy back in the 1960s and we are learning a lot about the decade that seems to have shaken up more than a just a generation of young Americans.  Moving from what we learned about the 1950s we are now heading into the 1960s.  In talking about and researching the decades I decided that we are going to go about midway through the 60s and finish off our week with the sock hop.  Then when we return to our decades theme weeks (after Egypt next week) we will kick off with late 60's and 70's.  Here are a few good book resources you can get from Amazon or from your library..

 

    

Similar to last week, we will prepare a meal reminescent of the era, create a timeline, watch a show (shows) that were on air during the time and we will complete craft and art projects.  This decade offers some fun..GI Joe, Barbies, Etch a Sketch, the Easy Bake Oven and Skateboards and hitting the scene was the Flinstones, Alvin and the Chipmunks, the classic musicals, the Beatles, and more Elvis. Of course we will dive deep into history, the civil rights movement and remember JFK and the events leading up to his assassination.

 

 

 

 

We have found KC Library of Cultural History to be a great resource and starting point for our research.

The people history  is another great resource, the kids love comparing the prices of what things cost back then compared to what they do now.

Here are some great 1960's recipes. 

This is a great read for an overview of a family in the 1960s.

Here is a cute montage from 1960s cartoons.. we fell in love with it earlier today.

 

Some crafts we are going to do might include, painting ceramics, making wooden jewelry, S&H green stamp play, visiting a glass blowing facility to name a few.  Have any craft ideas, favorite games or memories from the 1960s feel free to share in the comment section.

Looking for the Hippie, Tie-Dye, Far Out, Smiley Face activites, then stay tuned for our LATE 1960/1970s week coming up after our Egypt week next week.

Capturing the best of summer..

With all the fun you are having you may want to capture, record, and remember all these great moments. And what better way than with photographs and even better with scrapbooks... I hope you are living each day this summer to the fullest.  With our 1950s week last week, I was surprised how much I was reminiscing about some of my favorite summer memories.  Even though the 1950's was before my time, there is a great notaligic feel to that era.  Summer is magical and enchanted in a childs eyes and I hope my post last summer of 100 things to do with your kids still inspires you to be active, have fun and enjoy every single second you can while your kids are young.   I was wishing I had photos of the memories I was reliving with my own children to go with the stories we shared.. and it fueled my purpose and desire as a photographer and scrapbooker to keep alive the fun of my kids childhood through images and written words.

Lets start with taking photos, you dont have to be a professional photographer, you dont have to have an expensive dslr... check out some of kodak's point and shoots pretty reasonably priced and can easily work for on the go photos.. The most important part is that you take the photos.. Maureen over at Spell Outloud interviewed my favorite photographer, photography teacher, and luckily my friend Katrina at the beginning of the summer.  Check out that post to get great tips, tricks and ideas for capturing your summer this year.  You can also purchase Katrina's lessons at Designerdigitals, and if you own a dslr and have been stuck on auto for as long as I was before reading it, it is so well worth it..

Maureen also interviewed notable scrapper, Paula Gilarde in search of scrapbooking your summer ideas. Paula shares ideas of how to incorporate memorabilia into your pages as well.

I really enjoyed reading a post over at Ali Edwards Blog last week with a guest poster May Flaum.  If you need starters for the journaling, make sure you read this post. Several great ideas I am already starting to incorporate around here so I dont forget the details of our summer.

Here are a few examples of pages that have been added to our family scrapbooks from last summers theme weeks and some from this summer as well.

 

 
 
 
  
  


We have multiple books going on around here at any one time. All 4 kids have their own book and as I create a scrapbook page, I just upload it to their file at Shutterfly.  We also have a family book which we add pages to all the time.  And then we will do seasonal books as well.  This year the kids are old enough to create their own pages and are doing so with paper scrapbooking supplies and we will have much smaller but really great little books of their favorite memories from this summer.  I think it is very important to involve them in the process of the record keeping, it helps validate their feelings and roles within the family and it also preserves what was real and true to them.  They will have something very tangible from their childhood and when afforded the opportunity to hold pages they have created with images they created or captured it is sure to bring a spark to their eye.  Make sure you involve your kids in the process this summer...
 
All products on these pages have come from designerdigitals.com  the artists and designers at designerdigitals have top of the line digital products for all your digital scrapbooking needs.  And for more summer scrapbook ideas be sure to check out the gallery and store there. Here are some of my favorites products which we are already using around here this summer.

    
 
 
 
Dont forget all images and content are considered copywritten material and should not be copied in part or whole, please leave a comment if you link back to my blog and I will be sure return the favor.

1950's wrap up...

Here are a few more things we discovered during our trip back in time to the 1950's.  Keep posted later on for a sneak peak into our 1960s week ahead (complete with a sock hop, record player and soda shop visit)...

but first dont forget TONIGHT is the

GREAT AMERICAN BACKYARD CAMPOUT

 

With rain in our forecast we are moving inside, but we are still planning on having a blast, creating our own falling stars, cooking smores (in the rain), playing flashlight tag, and sleeping in a tent... please share your plans if you are participating...

Here are some great resources on the 1950's...

1950s kitchen slideshow

 

Eating Trends of the 1950's

Frozen Foods Hit the Market

Automobiles of the 1950's

 

1950s fashion

1950s youtube tribute:

 

1950s timeline

   

wooly willy, slinkys, slip n' slides, hula hoops, silly putty, model cars, jacks to name a few of the things we played with (and did) this week. 

1950s inventions

Civil Rights Time Line ('39-'60)  

American History 1950-1959 probably the best single source we found online.

   

we spent some time looking over some of the abstract expressionism pieces from the 1950's and then the kids went outside to try their hand at it...

Abstract Expressionism  

Want to see how we are capturing our summer, recording our memories and preserving the information we are learning... that will be an indepth post this weekend, so come back for lots of ideas on how you can scrapbook/record and remember how much fun your family is having this summer.

Chocolate Malts, Hula Hoops and I love Lucy...

We are starting off getting a clear idea of what life was like in the 50s.  We have concentrated on some of the historical aspects, but for the most part the kids are really fascinated in what the average daily life was like.  We have studied the architectural changes and the way the suburbs blossomed during this time.  Enjoyed learning about the new vehicles of the time, the tv shows, and the activities that kids did when they werent in school.  We have some fun ideas for the rest of the week and since I am running short on time I am going to go ahead and give you an overview and then find time at the end of the week to link up photos of what we have done...

For a fun treat you can enjoy LISTENING to the radio of the past at AM 1710 Antioch Old-Time radio..and here are a few of the advertisements that we have enjoyed looking over...

         

   

Notice the truth in advertising on that box of cereal "The SUGAR cereal with a fruit flavor" I might just have to visit a cereal aisle again in my life (we swore that stuff off a while ago).. to see if that is how they still advertise.. just made me laugh when I noticed it!

Tomorrow we will assemble our 1945-1959 time lines.  These are big cardboard panels and we have been printing photos etc, from the internet, of the things we have found significant.  Each of the kids are going to help make a commercial for a product that would have been introduced during the 50s.  They will be using the following commercials as examples... (oh they crack me up)

 

and this one...

 

We have a 1955 Better Homes and Garden Kids Cookbook

  

 

   

 

 

 

It is filled with simple yet nostalgic recipes, and the photos are just adorable.  We will be preparing a meal completely from recipes in this book.  And one thing I have discovered is that I am guilty of being TOO hands on in the kitchen.. My oldest, at the age of 10 can easily follow a recipe, has often helped me in preparing meals, but I can say that he has never flown solo on more than simple things like toast and sandwiches... so he has selected what he would like to prepare, he has purchased the ingredients he will need and will be making the dish entirely on his own (with the exception of HEAT - I will be pulling the pans off the stove or out of the oven).. hard habit to break!

 

We will enjoy more games, this time playing with Mr. Potato Head, Silly Putty, Slinkys, Model Airplanes, Wooly Willys, Kick the Can, Telephone, Hopscotch, Jacks, Pick Up Sticks to name a few....  On Thursday we are going to live sun up to sun down without the modern conveniences of the last 50-60 years.. No microwave, no color tv (thanks to our library they will have I love Lucy, Leave it to Beaver, Father Knows Best and the Lone Ranger should they wish to watch the tv..but they will not have a remote control either...  We will "dress" for dinner, and probably having a blast during the whole day. etc... I hope to tweet about it as the day goes by....We will be making poodle skirts and preparing for our 50s party on Friday, too.

 

Something that has provided a lot of information was asking those who were growing up during this time for some first hand experiences..   My older kids have written about a dozen questions and will be conducting interviews with some family and friends to get more details and a better grasp of life at this time from those who were living it..

 

I didnt post a list of supplies earlier in the week because I wasnt exactly sure... The biggest activity we did complete so far was studying the art of the decade and trying our hands at Abstract Expressionism... So if you have paint and paper you are set.... Other than that I had been buying up vintage goodies for a while (check your goodwill).. we have a record player and some 45s for our party on Friday, I did have to buy the Woody Willys, Silly Putty, a few hula hoops, and some slinkys...most everything else we had.. Oh did you know the slip in slide first came out in the 50s... that is a 105 degree day life saver!

 

Stay tuned for more info, pics and ideas....

Here are some helpful links we have been visiting this week....

The food time line: 1950s this is the best and most thourough list we have found.

Basic Into to the 1950s great general info about the basics - entertainment, etc.

Encyclopedia 1950s general overview full of links.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The time machine begins...

Today we roll back time to mid 1940's and spend the week reliving history during a 15 year  time span.

So how do we make this time period relavent for kids between 3 and 10, we relive as much as we can.  We explore WWII, creating timelines, discovering weapons of war, aircraft and honor those who sacrificed for our very freedoms.  We set up a mach factory and 'play' with the concept of an assembly line.  We practice rationing and listen to broadcasts from the era.  We can watch little rascals (in b/w). 

For the 50's we dive in a little deeper.... Again focusing on major historical events (timelines posted later in the week).  Civil Rights movement, Automobiles, Telephone lines, Space Travel, what things cost, optimism....But here is an overview of activities, kids toys, etc that we will see and play with this week.

TV shows:

Howdy Doody, Flash Gordon, Lassie, I Love Luy, Fran and Ollie, Father Knows Best.

Music:

Listened to on a vintage Record Player, is there anything quite as nostalgic as that vinyl sound and occasional skipped beat.  Carl Perkins, Ritchie Valens, Johnny Cash and of course Elvis Presley and his impact on the youth and the hip swaying Rock n' Roll.

Toys and Activities:

Legos, Army Men, Matchbox Cars, Mr. Potato Head,  Model Airplanes, Jump Ropes, Kick the Can, Hula Hoops, Silly Putty, Slip and Slides and Barbies...

  

Making rootbeer, having a Malt, listening to a Baseball game on the radio, creating our own abstract expressionism as we discover the changes in art and architecture, making poodle skirts to name a few.  We will finish our week with a fun celebration where the kids will share everything they have learned about this time in our history with their friends who will be invited over for a sock hop!!! 

Preparing for this weeks theme has me feeling nostalgic even though this was decades prior to my arrival, there is just something about this decade that calls to me, and apparently that is a common feeling thanks to television shows that portray this time in a childs life with such idealism...  And I found one article online that really captured my imagination and thoughts so well, its really worth a read.

Entertainment -the way kids did it in the 50s

General Overview of the 50s

Youtube video of life in a neighborhood during the 50s (youtube is a great source for some visuals to help the kids see what life was really like)

Victory Gardens and Rationing sources of info from the 40s.

   

Stay tuned each day as I post about our daily activities, especially later in the week when we transform our day from sun up to sundown to live like a typical family in the 50's.. that means nothing that has plastic, no color tv, or microwaves, it means simpler activities, and a whole lot of creative fun.

we have a winner!

Congratulations::

HERE is ENTRY NUMBER 4::

I blogged about your giveaway here:
http://ourbusyhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/06/italy-and-ice-cream.html

Posted by: Tristan | June 18, 2010 at 02:44 PM

So Tristan, use the contact me link to the right and I will get this fun summer treat/activity off your direction. 

Thanks for those who entered, there will be a some more gieveaways coming including...one this weekend for those who plan to participate in the Great American Backyard Campout..

And since today got away from me (love living in the moment with my kids and being spontaneous) but sorry it delayed tonights posting.. So, I will work on our intro post to our theme week over night and you can come check out our big 40/50's theme week first thing Monday... Complete with a sock hop at the end of the week.. Lots of fun, retro games, black and white tv shows, Elvis, and a slew of history, too..